Town Square

Help the Sheriff's station in Alamo

Original post made
on Feb 23, 2012

The Sheriff's Valley Station Office in Alamo is seeking people interested in assisting law enforcement in the community. Citizens should have a clean criminal history and would be responsible for one shift a week for four-and-a-half hours. Interested applicants should call Deputy Michael Carson or Volunteer Fred Perfetto at 837-2902.

Better off to put the citizens on patrol-maybe they'll actually respond to things. The (in)visibility of our law enforcement in Alamo is pathetic. Our deputies act like firemen, sitting at the station until a call comes out. When's the last time you saw a deputy on routine preventative patrol in your neighborhood? How often do you see them on car stops? (car stops, by the way, are where they'll get the vast majority of parolees, warrant suspects, etc that are in town to do crimes)

My wife was witness to a tweaker (meth freak) in the Safeway parking lot last week, screaming obscenities at a 5 year old girl in a car. She dialed 911 and got the CHP dispatcher, who transferred to the Sheriff's dispatcher, who after hemming and hawing agreed to put out a call. In the meantime, another woman RAN OVER TO THE SUBSTATION to report this. By the time a deputy sauntered over, the girl had opened the car, the man had jumped on her in the back seat, and then took off.

If the feces hits the rotating oscillator, people, don't think for a minute that 911 is your lifeline. When seconds count, the Sheriff's department is just minutes away.

Posted by Harald A. Bailey
a resident of Alamo
on Feb 23, 2012 at 8:03 am

Dear Editor,

Such issues by commentators as above need to be directed to Lt. Jim Grottkau, substation commander, jgrot@so.cccounty.us. It is also good to make a note of the Alamo Substation Telephone number, +1.925.646.2441.

Our neighborhoods in the Alamo region regularly see Lt. Grottkau drive through and have enjoyed conversations with this engaged and involved commander.

It's great that the watch commander is out rolling around and talking to the residents. That's what community policing is all about. Unfortunately, I think the majority of deputies assigned to Alamo have the mindset that since it isn't Richmond, they're 'retired on duty'. Also, the next time you talk with the good Lt., ask him how many deputies are on duty, IN Alamo, on any given overnight shift. My understanding is that it's zero.

Not anti-S.O. in any way, shape, or form, Hal-just aware of the way budget issues and manpower deployment decisions have placed us in a situation of which most residents are blissfully ignorant.

Answers to patrol staffing and other public safety and preparedness questions are addressed by the Alamo Improvement Association Public Safety Committee, publicsafety@alamoca.org, and will be part of tonight's agenda, February 23, 2012 at the AIA board meeting, Creekside Church, Alamo at 7PM, upstairs on the northside of building.

As part of the agenda tonight, the program for the AIA Public Safety Fair, March 24 at the Creekside Church, will be reviewed and all the safety agencies and groups participating will be discussed. As part of the Public Safety Fair, neighborhood watch and safety programs will be presented for individual neighborhoods' organization with "no home out of view" as the theme.

The immediate issue of this exchange is volunteers at the substation so our neighborhoods have immediate access by phone to the commander and staff supported by Alamo volunteers that have shared concern for our safety. That keeps our deputies on patrol and informed of immediate issues.

Well it makes a good sound byte but....A private homeowner's group does not represent any legal authority in Alamo over the sheriff or any other county responsibility, no matter how well intentioned.

The Alamo Municipal Advisory Council is the closest to that (they are a legally recognized entity) and they still only 'recommend' to the local Supervisor.

The citizen's group (P-2B) that meets with the Sheriff monthly, is advisory only, and has for years promoted ticketing and speed issues but has not promoted the concept of policing through neighborhood prevention, theft recovery, etc. as do surrounding area police departments. Pretty much they listen to the Sheriff, nod and do nothing about policing just the revenue getting tickets.

As to the number of deputies, the substation covers all of the unincorporated area of Contra Costa or about 140 square miles - it is not just the 10 square miles of Alamo. No complete route exists in Alamo and most neighborhoods do not see any police like they used to - due to substantial ongoing cuts in the Sheriff department and this substation. At times, there is little or no coverage locally.
Chatting with a few locals doesn't equate to good policing.

For many many issues you file a report on line and never see or talk to a deputy, let alone recovery of your property (unless its done by the police in the other area).

Going to a Safety Fair will give you some information but if you want to make a larger difference go to the citizen advisory meeting of P-2B (the first Monday of each month?). At the least you will learn how County governance works for the Sheriff's Department.

Posted by Sheriff Volunteer
a resident of Alamo
on Feb 24, 2012 at 4:45 pm

Mr. Alamo DAD,

Your comment regarding " a tweaker (meth freak) in the Safeway parking lot last week, screaming obscenities at a 5 year old girl in a car" and your description of the Sheriff sauntering over is not true. I was on duty that day and as soon as the woman came over to alert us two deputies in a patrol car and the Station Commander immediately responded along with another deputy on foot for cover.

Also, in addition to Sheriff Patrols there are five teams of volunteers who patrol both Alamo and Round Hill as part of our active If I Were A Thief Program.